Tattooing involves the placement of ink or pigment into the skin's dermis. The most common method of tattooing today is the electric tattoo machine, which places ink into the skin via a single needle or a group of needles that are connected to an oscillating unit. The unit rapidly and repeatedly drives the needles in and out of the skin, usually 80 to 150 times a second. A hollow cylinder or tube is attached to the tattoo machine to guide the needles and to hold a volume of ink. A portion of the tube often has a larger external diameter than the rest of the tube. This enlarged portion of the tube functions as hand grip for the tattoo artist. As the needles move in an out of the skin, the ink from the tube is carried by gravity from the tube, down the needles, and into the skin.
During the tattooing process, the tip of the tube is required to be dipped in a container of ink once the ink held in the tip is depleted. To obtain dark, permanent tattoos, it is important to use adequate amounts of ink on the tips of the tattoo needle. In the process of dipping the needle into the ink, if the needle is not dipped sufficiently frequently, a pale, poorly visible tattoo may result. However, frequent dipping is time consuming and increases the chances the needle will strike a hard surface and be damaged when dipped into the ink supply. In addition to the economic loss when the needle is damaged and the increased time to create a tattoo, the damaged needle, if used, will cause pain while tattooing. The damaged tips may also damage the skin in a way that affects the quality of the tattoo, as well as result in swelling and bleeding at the tattoo site.
To overcome the problems associated with frequent dipping, some tattooing apparatus are known which employ a reservoir of ink or pigment to supply the needle with pigment without requiring dipping. However, such apparatus have not been accepted by tattoo artist for a variety of reasons. For example, some apparatus extend the reservoir of the tube in a way that affects the look and feel of the tattooing machine making it undesirable to use. Other apparatus provide an inadequate ink supply.
To this end, a need exists for an improved tube for a tattoo machine with an ink reservoir that is easy to use. It is to such a tube that the inventive concepts disclosed herein and claimed are directed.